“Victory is mine.” Hashana danced around. “The guardian drunk on my dark aura, the Fang clan gathered for the birth of a newborn, but have no idea I am here, creating a problem that they will never solve.” She began laughing. “Not even Dumah can stop their purification power with so many Fang’s about.”

“I can’t do it anymore,” cried Furina.

“You will keep going,” snarled Hashana, moving to place her hands on her shoulders. “Otherwise, everyone in this room and the village will die.”

The cubs body glowed, resonating with the crystal, the sparks of lightning weakening, the cave rumbling as the crystal dulled a little and the darkness around the room, thickened further.

“Good, just a little more, nothing can stop me,” laughed Hashana.

“Who are you calling nothing,” I called into the room, standing at the entrance as she turned to look in my direction. I had no idea what I was doing, no plan, nothing, all I knew is that I needed to stop them from removing the lightning crystal.

“Fang!” she yelled, and her wolves jumped into attacking me.

I twisted on my foot, swinging my arm sending a blade of wind, directly at them, knocking back the wolves in the opposite directions, knocking over one of the Smilodon’s working on the crystal, sending out a second wave I knocked the other Smilodon’s over too.

“I recommend you run away as always, this little operation of yours is over.” I grinned walking deeper into the room. The little Smilodon stopped what she was doing to look in my direction. I spotted the mark of a dragon along one side of her face, it looked like it most probably went over a portion of her body too, gifted by the guardian of these crystal caves.

“How dare you harm my pack!” Hashana screamed at me, darting in my direction, drawing forth her dagger.

I calmly stepped back to the right, left, just casually avoiding her attacks. I felt no real danger from her, she held the same amount of dark energy as she always had, nothing in an amount compared to the others under Dumah; she was also a sloppy fighter, mainly relying on her wolf pack to do most of the damage.

“Did you come up with this idea all by yourself or did Dumah whisper it in your ear,” I teased.

“I am doing a far better job than he is right now,” she responded, swinging more aggressively but still the same results. “Damn you, Fang.”

“It must be quite frustrating knowing that are still quite a few of us left,” I commented. “I bet Dumah thought Dad and I would be his last problem.”

“It’ll just take longer to wipe you out, that’s all.” She stopped mid attack, panting at she’d worn herself out. “I may be the weakest, last to be reviewed on the worst of all lightning energy.” I felt somehow sorry for her, but she still needed to be taken care of. “But I still have my purpose, I still carry his power.”

“But he doesn’t favour you,” I said. “He gives Dumah everything and you nothing.”

“I don’t need him; I have my own power now.” She held open her arms. “See the power I possess.” I just watched as she laughed, and nothing happened. She gazed around confused.

“Oh, are you talking about the dark crystals within the caverns?” She slowly nodded. “Sorry, already purified those, also took out your guards, lookouts, technically you’re the last one standing.”

“Stop teasing her master,” said Raziel. “It is time to end her.”

“Of course.” I drew Raziel, glancing at the condensed crystal around her neck, whatever happened I could not let her consume that.

Without warning I went on the attack, swiping up, catching her along her side as she’d stepped back to avoid the majority of my attack.

“You still want to attack me?” She gazed at me confused, did she think I felt that sorry for her, don’t think so, not after her assassination attempt on my life and the other things she had done in the name of the darkness. She held the cut on her side.

“You’ve harmed all these Smilodon and who knows how many other Animalia you have brought harm to since the moment you were brought back into this world.” I snarled at her; she had the nerve to think she had earned my pity. “Now I’ll cut you down just like my predecessors have done.”

“Your ancestors were fun to play with too,” she grinned as her wolf pack rejoined her, recovering from my defensive attack. But there is only one of you now, you fight alone.”

“I am never alone.” I raised my arms as Raziel and Arata snarled, ready to back me up.

“Three of you against me and my pack, let’s see who wins.” Hashana pointed forward, her pack darting in my direction.

I moved back allowing Raziel and Arata to jump into attack, using even their wings to knock back the wolves, drawing them away from me, so I could focus on my own target, Hashana.

Drawing Arata’s sword now, I wasn’t going to hesitate any longer, I knew everything Hashana had planned and would be ending it now. Thrusting forward I sent out a burst of lightning at her, then fire. She dodged each one, my attacks bouncing off the walls in different directions, striking down a wolf and even a Smilodon, which I felt bad for but had no time to be worrying about that, I would heal him after I had dealt with the vermin.

I dashed forward again, slashing away using the skills I had used during my training with dad, all still fresh within my mind and body. Hashana was on the defence.

Flipping Raziel’s flaming sword back hand, I disarmed her, catching her along her side, pulling back slightly, I kicked her back, further away from me. Lowing my body posture close to the ground, hanging my arms, my tail flickering wildly.

“Someone seems to be enjoying themselves,” commented Hashana. Enjoying myself, I wondered what she could mean, but I did feel a rush when I was in the middle of combat. “Perhaps I should stop messing around.” The air in the caverns became darker as Hashana body began letting off more dark energy. “These condensed crystals have another purpose to those who master it, it can also hide once true power, who needs dark crystals, when you are one!” Her whole deminer changed, disappearing for a moment, then reappearing in front of me, swiping upwards, out from the floors beneath my feet. I flipped back in surprise, watching fur from my fringe fall.

I felt her power growing as she readied herself, creating a new dagger out of thin air, just like Link, is this what Link would have become if his core had been corrupted too. Dad and I struggled against him; I had a feeling this was going to be far harder a challenge than I first thought.